Saving Princess Luna
by The War Pony
Summary: After learning Princess Luna parachuted in, Captain Twilight must rescue Luna with her friends. Rated T for violence, descriptions of deaths and language. THE LANGUAGE IS CENSORED WITH "*"! Review please!
1. Blood On The Beach

**REVISED AND UPDATED. PLEASE READ THE 2ND AND 3RD CHAPTERS! Fixed some layout issues and did some minor editing. I hope this layout is not too strange. If there is anything wrong, please do not hesitate to inform me. Added 3rd chapter so please check that out!**

6th of June 1944

Pony Green Sector, "Ponmaha" Beach

The landing crafts that carried the Equestrian Army Rangers made their short journey to the shore, crashing through the waves. Captain Twilight Sparkle was barking out orders while Fluttershy cried. Sergeant Applejack, totally relaxed, munched on an apple. Rarity was trying her best at not getting her uniform dirty. Rainbow Dash smirked, almost saying "This will be easy!" with her smile.

Pinkie Pie laughed, "I'm so nervouscited!"

Applejack -after finishing her apple- reminded the others on the craft "Ponies! Remember what I say! When we reach the beach, five ponies is a juicy opportunity. One pony is a waste of ammo for the bucking son-of-a-mare Sombra's MG crews! Keep it spread out!"

Hearing this, Twilight added a sentence. "All troops will regroup once we land. Pegasi, do NOT fly. Good luck everypony!"

That was the last sentence coming from Twilight before the shriek of the whistle and the creaking of metal as the ramp went down. The landing craft was filled with red confetti. Except it wasn't a party. Blood and flesh flew through the air as King Sombra's MG crews fired mercilessly onto the ponies below them.

"Over the side now!" Twilight hollered before throwing herself over the edge of the landing craft.

The heavy equipment dragged some down into the depths of the ocean. MG bullets picked others off. Those who survived made their way to the hedgehog defenses, hoping to find some protection from the bullets of the machine guns. As Twilight waded ashore, she watched, stunned by the scene of devastation before her eyes. A green pony carrying a flamethrower was engulfed in flames, shortly before exploding into a red shower of blood that rained down onto Twilight. A soldier picked up a limb that was blown off by mortar fire with his hoof. Ponies were dying all around Twilight, writhing and falling. The sea around her was becoming red, colored by the blood coming from the bodies of dead ponies. A mare lay on the ground screaming and helpless, with the contents of her abdomen on the sand. Somepony was shouting, only when Twilight turned to the pony, she realized that the Ranger was trying to say something to her.

"I said, what the hell do we do now ma'am!?" the pony demanded.

Twilight replied with nothing.

Applejack shouted for Twilight, "Get Sparkle! Get Sparkle!"

"Move your ponies off the beach! Now!" Twilight responded to Applejack.

Applejack gave a quick nod and rapped out an order. "Ok ponies, get on my plot and follow me!"

"What's the rallying point?!" the same pony asked.

"Anywhere but here! It's hell!" Twilight replied in desperation. "Tell you what! We'll have the rendezvous point be the sea wall!"

"Heck no! This hedgehog is the only thing I have between me and Celestia!" a pony protested.

"Suit yourself!" Twilight argued back. "We've been pre-sighted by spotters so if you stay here, you can take mortar shells to your body. You want that?!"

"Ponies, go, go, go! To the sea wall!"

Before Twilight was about to leave, a scream of pain came from a pony.

It was First Lieutenant Caramel, downed with a bullet in his body. "Help me, I'm hit low goddamn it hurts! Get me out of here! Please!" He pleaded.

"Medic! Medic!" Twilight shouted.

Nopony came.

"Come on Caramel," Twilight started to move up, struggling under his weight, "We'll get you fixed once I get to that stupid sea wall!"


	2. The Magic of Friendship

**Updated chapter 2 to make it easier to read and added more "stuff". Hope you ****enjoy!**

"Hug the cover! Hug the cover!" A single, hoarse cry came from Twilight as she flung herself down. "Medic! We have an injured officer here!"

A medic edged forward and took care of Caramel.

"Don't worry, you won't die!"

"Captain!" Rainbow shouted, "What the drunken, molesting Celestia do we do now!? We got two MG42s in that bunker up ahead around two hundred yards north on that cliff pinning us down. To make matters worse, it's backed up by three bucking mortars that are hammering us right now and I can't fly!"

"This is hell, they're killing us and we don't have a silly goddamn DD tank ashore and that isn't fair!" Rarity added, barely audible above the deafening chatter of the machine guns.

"Shut it Dash and Rarity! I'm trying to think of a magical plan here!" Twilight snapped back.

"Pommel!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Tell command that most ponies didn't make it, we have no DD tanks on the beach. Pony One is NOT OPEN!"

"Yes ma'am!" Coco began shouting into an SCR-300.

Applejack snorted. "Huh, so like you Sparkle, making plans at a time like this! Looks like it ain't a waste of all those books you read!"

Twilight ignored Applejack's remark, "Who is in command here?" She asked.

"You!" A private replied.

"Damn! I wish Caramel was here to help."

"Sergeant Applejack!"

"Ma'am!"

"You recognize where we are?!"

"We are where we are supposed to be but no others are!"

"Pommel!" Twilight grabbed her, "First wave ineffective! We do not hold the beach! We do not hold the beach!"

"Pommel!"

"Yes!"

"Tell command that we need more ponies up the beach!"

"I can't ma'am! The bucking MG fire just smashed up my radio!"

"Son of a mare!" Twilight swore. "Keep your head down then!"

Fluttershy threw herself down next to Twilight, tears streaming down her face.

"Any more ponies that we know?" Twilight shouted.

"That's all we have here!" Applejack responded, "You, me, Rarity, Dash, Pie and Fluttershy is all we have!"

"Where is the medic from our unit? That new pony!" Twilight asked again.

"Flash Sentry? He should be coming! Either he's dead or he's helping some wounded ponies down at the beach!" Rainbow replied.

"Move up and help some others!"

"No!" Flash shouted defiantly, "This pony needs help! I got it! We stopped the bleeding!"

As soon as the words fell, there was a "Ping!" and the wounded pony lay dead.

"Motherbucker!" Flash threw down the bloody bandages. "They should give us a bucking tent! You son of a mare! You son of a fu**ing c**t!" He cursed as his anger grew more intense.

"Go!" Another medic pulled the still swearing and furious Flash away.

"Flash is here!" Rarity shouted as he came running and scrambling for cover.

"Gather weapons and ammo!" Twilight commanded.

"Gather weapons and ammo!" Applejack repeated Twilight's order.

The Rangers scrambled and hurriedly rummaged among the bodies for the precious ammunition and firearms.

"Bring up some Bangalores!"

"Engineer ponies coming!"

The long tubes, filled with high explosive were hastily screwed together and pushed through a gap in the wire.

"Fire in the hole! Fire in the hole!" An engineer shouted a warning before igniting the fuse.

There was a shattering explosion that traveled the full length of the charge. A gap was opened in the barbed wire that otherwise blocked the path.

"Ok ponies! Barbed wire defenses eliminated!" Twilight announced, "This is the plan. Moving up against those MGs and under mortar fire is just plain jackass style dumb! We will almost certainly die! Remember the Magic of Friendship! We proved that a group hug will form a shield! Pie, Fluttershy, Dash, Rarity, Applejack and myself, we will get in a group hug now! All other ponies. Just remain where you are and KEEP YOUR HEADS DOWN! I'll give the signal when these sons of Molestia burn! The signal will be three, five second bursts with my Thompson. Move up immediately when you hear it!"

"Yay!" Pinkie Pie called out. "I'm so nervouscite-" her sentence was cut short by an explosion. Half of her body was gone. All there was on the ground was the blood and internal organs that spilled out from the remaining half of the pink party pony's body.

"Parasprites! Pinkie NOOOO!" Rainbow scrambled to the wrecked body of Pinkie. "Dead…" tears broke out from the magenta eyes of the Pegasus, "You can't leave now... You-"

Applejack, annoyed at Rainbow for suddenly turning from a brave Pegasus into something like a filly, screamed, "Get the goddamn Celestia candy apples over here now Rainbow F**king Dash! You're holding us up and every minute this MG crew remains alive, more ponies die! You want that to happen you stupid Pegasus!? Snap out of it!"

"Stow it Applejack, Dash just lost a close friend. Take it easy on her!" Twilight commanded.

Applejack obeyed.

"Sweetie Belle!? Get Sweetie Belle!" Applejack gave out a command.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Sweetie Belle answered, creeping forward and keeping her head low all the time.

"Yes sarge?"

"Glad you didn't get your head knocked off Belle. Now that we lost Pinkie, I want YOU, to take HER place in the group hug! It is important that you take part because we have to make sure this works!" "We can't risk being all gunned down because of a slightly weaker shield! You understand private!?"

"Yes sarge!" Sweetie Belle shouted with determination.

"Good! I like that attitude!" "Now, let us put this plan into action! Well done is way better than well said!"

"I like that honesty Applejack..." muttered Rainbow. "But I want to be the one who flames that bunker. I'm awesome you know!"

"Yes Dash, you may be the one who flames the bunker." Twilight said with a sigh. Sometimes Twilight found it easier to agree with Rainbow than to argue with her.

"Darlings. You ready?" Rarity asked with a smile on her face. "You know, I'm feeling generous about sharing my lead with those hostiles!"

"Less talk and more work!" Twilight demanded. "Let's get to it!"

Fluttershy cried, not willing to take part in it even though she knew it was for the good of Equestria.

Rainbow saw this and laughed. "Come on Fluttershy! Stop whimpering and crying like a filly. It's just burning a bunker and killing some Sombra Youth members. Nothing special if you ask me…"

"But it's still wrong! Killing is not right!" Sobbed Fluttershy.

Rainbow ignored her and dragged her towards the group, who were already prepared.

"Look," Rainbow comforted Fluttershy "If even a filly like Sweetie Belle can do it, so can you. If you really want me to, I can stay by your side the whole time."

"Come on!" Twilight urged. "We really need to hurry it up!"

"I'm here!" Rainbow replied.

As the ponies huddled together, a purple aura began to form around them. After a minute, the aura turned into something that resembled a purple dome made of glass.

"Yes!" Twilight exclaimed. "It succeeded!" "We'll move up now! Stay within four feet of each other. Don't have more than five feet between each pony or this would fail." "Do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am!" the ponies responded.

"Good! Over the top now! Lock and load ponies. We are doing this."


	3. Revenge

**Here it is! The 3rd chapter. I'm keeping these chapters short. They aren't really like a chapter but you get what I mean... Enjoy!**

Twilight and her ponies moved up. The MG crews soon spotted them and every gun came to bear at them, hoping to obliterate them. True to the name, the shield made the bullets bounce off, as if they were no more than peas. Slowly advancing, the squad carefully moved around to the back of the first bunker.

"Dash! Grenade!" Said Applejack.

Applejack took the grenade from her hoofs, counted silently to three and threw it at the door that sealed off the entrance to the bunker. The door buckled under the force of the explosion. Applejack and Twilight edged cautiously to the entrance. An enemy ran out, Applejack instantly downed him with a shot from her rifle, leaving a splat of blood on the wall. Two other hostiles were dealt with the same, savage treatment. Either a shot to the head or chest. Twilight and Applejack jumped down to the walkway near the bunker entrance.

"Grenade!" Applejack warned, before pitching it into the open entrance of the bunker. "Flame!"

Rainbow instantly came forward with the flamethrower. Then, two short blasts of flame were sent through the entrance. Down of the beach, the ponies saw the bunker belch fire. The enemy inside stood no chance against the flamethrower. Occupants of the bunker were seen pitching themselves through the gap and onto the enraged and bloodthirsty Equestrian Army Rangers waiting below. A few shots rang out but were soon silenced.

"Don't shoot! Let them burn!" An officer hollered, full of hate.

"Oh yeah! All dead in ten seconds flat! Heard that sizzling anypony?" Rainbow looked on with a smug smile on her face.

Twilight gave the signal. With the bunker no more than a lump of burning concrete, the soldiers moved up with no resistance.

Shortly after giving the signal, Twilight and her ponies pushed forward, with the fighting mostly being close range. A Sombri threw his hands up, attempting to surrender. A bullet to the head was his treatment… Only when the others stood up, the Rangers took them prisoner.

"Son of a mare…" a pony smirked… "They fight like fillies!"

"Hey Rarity," Rainbow called after searching the bodies, "I found a Sombra Youth knife!"

Rarity took it, with a dazed look on her face. Whimpers progressed into uncontrollable convulsions of grief as the horrible memories relating to the Sombris drifted back to her. Applejack looked at Rarity with sympathy before turning away and collecting some soil into a metal container as a souvenir.

"Quite a view huh?" Applejack said.

"Yes… Quite a view…" Twilight agreed.

In the half light of the cloud-covered sky, the sea that had once been grey was now a dark red with the waves lapping against the beach. Dead bodies and scattered equipment decorated the sand. In some hours, all would be washed away, erasing the evidence of the deaths that occurred that morning.


	4. Celestia's Orders

**Telegram Centre, Manehattan, D-Day Plus 2 Hours**

"Major, got something urgent I must tell you!" A communications corporal said after reading a telegram he just received.

"What is it?" The Major asked.

"It's a telegram coming from Canterlot."

"So?"

"Well… It says that Princess Luna parachuted in last night with some other paratroopers in Baker Company in the 1st Battalion of 506th PIR belonging to the 101st Airborne Division. The order of Celestia is to bring her back immediately."

"You have to be kidding me!" The major snatched the telegram to read it for himself. "You're right, says here she's somewhere near Ramelle."

"What is the nearest unit to Ramelle?"

"We'll get the Charlie Company ponies in the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Pony Green to do it, they are the closest."

**Pony Green, Ponmaha Beach, D-Day Plus 3 Days**

"My Little Pony… My Little Pony…" Twilight and her friends sung, looking at the beach below. It was now sunny and bustling with activity, the events that occurred there seem to have been forgotten like a dream.

"Rainbow, smoke?" Applejack offered a cigarette.

"No thank you but thanks for offering." Rainbow declined politely with a smile on her face.

"Ahh… Finally a rest after that morning of hell," Rarity stretched out on the soft grass, bathed in sunlight. "Anypony got a drink?" She asked, "I'm dying of thirst out here!"

"Here's one," Applejack tossed a bottle of apple cider. "Best quality around. Cost me the pay of a day per bottle so you'd better enjoy it!"

"Sheesh Applejack, you should stop spending all this money on apple products."

"What's my name? It's Applejack. Of course I'd spend my cash on apple products or else I'm not Applejack! Now drink up girl!"

A messenger appeared, carrying a letter and out of breath. "Captain Twilight Sparkle? 2nd Ranger Battalion?"

"Yes?"

"I have a letter with direct orders from Celestia to bring Princess Luna back. Safely."

"How in Equestria would be Princess Luna doing here?" Rainbow demanded. "Is this a joke or something?"

"No private, it's not a joke." The messenger replied.

"So what can we do?" Twilight enquired.

"Find her and bring her back. Easy as that."

"Wait, how am I supposed to bring Princess Luna back if I have no idea of where she is?"

"That's fine. I have learned from the letter that she parachuted in with the 101st Airborne Division a few days ago near Ramelle."

"Thank you for letting me know, I'll get to it."

"Very well ma'am. Good luck to you and your ponies."

"Thank you, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

"So what now?" Applejack asked. "I would have liked a bit more of a rest before pitching into battle again."

"Orders are orders, we gotta follow them." Twilight said. "Come on everyone, get your gear on and check weapons and ammo! We're leaving soon."

Twilight's friends stocked up on ammunition. They reluctantly pulled on their gear, obviously wanting a longer break from the horrors of war.

"Here we go again, being sent out like pigeons. Bloody top brass…" Rainbow muttered under her breath.

"I'm going to need more ponies. Sergeant Applejack, follow me, we need to select two more ponies to come with us."

"How about Silver Shill?" Applejack asked.

"He got killed on the beach, he was a good soldier." Twilight responded. "If you ignored the fact that he was a crook." She added.

"That's too bad then," Applejack said. "How about Maud Pie? Pinkie Pie's sister and Lyra"

"She might kill us because Pinkie's dead, she has a very unique personality, not that I like it… " Twilight said with a hint of disapproval. "Lyra's fine though."

"She is pretty strong, remember that time that she smashed that boulder."

"Strength is only good when you know how to use it good," Twilight tapped her head with a hoof. "But I guess having her wouldn't do much harm, she's a damn good shot."

Twilight and Applejack approached her.

"Pie, Maud Pie?" Twilight asked.

The grey mare put down a rock she was holding and looked up "Yes?" she answered dully. "Is there anything needed?" She picked up the rock again and put it in her mouth and chewed it with an almost robotic fashion.

Applejack stared, "Well… Um… You sure like a bit of 'crunch' in your diet don't ya!?"

"Yes. I do." Maud gave a single, blunt answer.

Twilight cleared her throat. "Unfortunately… I don't know how to put this right, but… I must inform you with great regret that Pinkie Pie was killed in action." Twilight tensed herself for Maud's reaction to this grim news.

"Yes, she is dead. I see." Maud said. Something close to an emotion formed on her face, but disappeared. "I loved her very much, about as much as I love rocks."

Twilight and Applejack both dropped their jaws. They were not expecting such an answer and reaction.

"Applejack, you go and fetch Lyra please, I'll talk to Maud here."

"Yes ma'am."

"So Maud, we need your help. I understand that you are an excellent sniper, we're rescuing Princess Luna from Ramelle. It's crucial for you to come. Is that O.K.?"

"Yes." She answered, not looking up.

"Thank you very much."

Applejack appeared with Lyra at her side. "All ready?" She asked.

"All ready." Twilight said as she returned to the group.

"Follow my lead, keep it together!" Twilight waved.

The figures that walked (and flew) into the distance gradually became smaller until they were finally specks in the horizon.


	5. Town

**Fifteen miles later…**

The sky darkened, thunder boomed out its protest. A jagged bolt of lightning streaked across the sky.

"Oh yeah! Lightning! Just like me!" Rainbow said proudly.

"Looks like we're in for a soaking!" Twilight warned. "Be ready to hang your uniform out in a few hours!"

The rain poured itself down onto the eight ponies below, thoroughly saturating their uniforms and boots.

"Oh noes, this is a catastrophe!" Rarity said, looking at her dirtied uniform and muddy boots.

"Quit whining Rarity." Rainbow landed from her hovering position, scooped some mud off the ground and slapped the mud-coated hoof onto Rarity's helmet. Some of the mud even splattered onto Rarity's face.

Rarity gasped. "Dash! How dare you! Come back here so you can feel my wrath!" She screamed angrily.

"Bahahaha! Ha ha ha!" Rainbow laughed, holding her stomach before finishing with a little wheeze. "You should have seen yourself when I did that!"

"Hmmph!" Rarity's face transitioned from her usual pale tone to more of a crimson tone.

"What's going on back there?" Twilight asked.

"Nothing!" Rainbow responded, still smiling a little.

"Be good…" Twilight said.

"I got you!" Rarity slammed a hoof hard into Rainbow's stomach as soon as Twilight looked away.

"Hey! That hurts!" Rainbow doubled up under the blow.

"You asked for it… Don't blame me darling!" Rarity said, silencing Rainbow.

The squad continued to trudge for another grueling ten miles. They finally reached the outskirts of the town.

"Thunder!" Twilight shouted.

"Flash!" The paratrooper ponies shouted back.

Twilight's squad entered the wrecked town.

"Relief?" A paratrooper pony asked Twilight.

"Sorry, we're not the relief. We're looking for Princess Luna. I understand she parachuted in with the 101st."

"Princess Luna!? Is this meant to be a joke ma'am?" The paratrooper said with exasperation. "I'm sorry, but the Princess is definitely not here. Try looking on the other side of the town."

"Thank you." Twilight said before moving forward with some paratroopers.

A Sombri radio was on, blaring Sombran. The Rangers and the paratroopers took cover behind a low wall as the Sombris defending the town opened fire.

The Rangers returned fire, under an intense firefight, the Sombris began to fall back. Many didn't make it as the hail of lead sent from Twilight's ponies had killed most Sombris.

Rarity, annoyed and offended deeply at the radio, shouted, "Shut up already! Sombra was circumcised by my Fashionista God!" "Ssh! Keep it down Rarity! You tryin to be Luna there?" Applejack said.

"This area clear! Let's move out!" Twilight gave out a quick order.

Twilight looked into the town square for Sombris behind the cover of an iron fence. There were some ponies, inside a bombed building." Defilade at that fence and wall!"

"Thunder!" Rainbow shouted. "Or else we will fire on you!"

"I think they are French ponies," Twilight said. "Fluttershy, tell them to show themselves in French."

"Montrez-vous! Montrez-vous!" Fluttershy shouted, unusual for her.

A family of French ponies appeared with an infant and a filly.

"Ask them if they know where the Sombris are." Twilight told Fluttershy.

"Savez-vous où les Sombris sont?" Fluttershy asked.

The father let loose a torrent of French, he then picked up the filly and lowered her to Twilight's squad.

"He wants us to take the filly!" Fluttershy said.

"No no no no no!" Twilight desperately said and signaled to the French ponies. "We can't take fillies!"

Lyra appeared around the corner and went to take the filly.

"What the hay are you doing?!" Applejack asked. "Are you nuts?! Listen to the captain!"

"Heartstrings! Put that filly back up there!" Twilight commanded.

"It's okay captain! The decent thing to do is to at least take her down the road to the next town."

"I said get that filly back up there!" Twilight barked. "Alright," She took the filly from Lyra and carried her to Applejack. "The decent thing you need to do is to follow f**king orders!"

In a church tower about four hundred yards away, another Sombri watched. Smiling, he took out his scoped Kar98K. Opening the bolt, he inserted five rounds. The bolt was closed. Lowering his rifle, he inhaled deeply and took aim.

"Sarge, take the filly!" Twilight said.

Applejack took her into her hoofs.

A shot suddenly rang out. The bullet missed Lyra by less than an inch.

"Sweet Celestia!" Lyra shouted before diving for cover behind a car.

"Cover!"

Twilight's squad found what cover they could. Behind walls, pieces of furniture, piles of rubble and cars, whatever might protect them from a deadly bullet.

"Damn, can't believe we missed a sniper. We'll have to take him out to continue. Maud! Go take that son of a mare out!"

"Yes ma'am!" Maud said. "I wouldn't venture out there ponies! This sniper has some talent!" Maud scanned the area, her eyes set on a church tower. "That sniper is in there. Damn he was close, it's about four hundred and fifty yards from where we are to where he is!" Twisting her scope to set it appropriately for the shot, she dashed forward and took cover at a pile of rocks. Although the rocks were extremely tempting for her, she ignored them and focused on taking out the enemy.

Meanwhile, the Sombri that attempted to shoot Lyra was also scanning the area. He moved his rifle, looking for an opportunity to take out another pony. He found nothing. All of Twilight's ponies were under cover. He cursed before going on a second scan of the area. He found an opportunity, but he was much too late. The last thing he saw through his scope was a dark figure. There was a flash and the world blacked out. The Sombri -now minus a right eye- briefly swayed before pitching back and lying still. A pool of blood began to spread underneath his head.

"We got him!" Rarity said with a smile and a nod.

"Phew!" Lyra breathed. "That was much too close!"

The French filly ran back to her parents, climbing the little hill of rubble, her father picked her up. Angry and crying, she slapped her regretful and apologizing father again and again.

"Let's continue our search for goddamn Princess Luna! Sergeant Applejack, do an ammo check. Fluttershy, fill them canteens up. We'll move out in fifteen minutes!"


	6. Thank You

**I'd like to say a big thank you to all that read my story. I'm a new author here and 656 views is just awesome! Also, in particular, thank you very much to the people who favorited and followed. Please review, they are the most welcome and serve as an additional encouragement for me.**


	7. Confrontation

"Captain," Applejack said. "We have an average of one hundred and fifty rounds of ammunition between each pony."

"Should be just enough," Twilight responded. "Where's Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy appeared, carrying many canteens and staggering.

Applejack roared with laughter. "Fluttershy! Only fifteen canteens and you're like that!? How can you even hold all of your equipment properly?"

"It's… Just… A… Little hard for me." Fluttershy fell onto the ground, breathing heavily.

Twilight helped her up, "Come on. Let's go. Come and get your canteens from Fluttershy! I get to keep any that no others claim!"

The joined force of the paratroopers and Rangers sidled forward to collect their canteens.

"Let's go! Move those legs!" Twilight said.

The squad came to an area with some rubble and a staircase.

"Captain Dumpling should be here. Go and look please private."

"I'm not sure if she is here or not." The private replied.

"Would you just go look?! Please?!" The paratrooper sergeant said with annoyance. "Thank you, you moron." He said before sitting down on rubble with wooden poles. "Camp out here for a while. Get this damn hitchhiker out of my boot." He accidentally knocked a pole over. Falling through the air, it crashed onto the wall behind him.

The wall crumbled, revealing a room. Only it wasn't empty… There were about seven Sombris inside it. Somehow they decided to make it their temporary command post. Either it was sheer bad luck or a coincidence that both sides were there and face to face to each other.

Twilight's squad acted incredibly quickly. Rapidly swinging their weapons, they aimed at the Sombris and shouted out commands.

"Put your weapons down!" Rarity hollered.

"Hands in the air plothole!" Rainbow cried.

"Do it! Do it!" Applejack shouted, shakieng with fear.

The Sombris were equally fast to draw their weapons. Within seconds, it had become a tense game with death hanging in the air, striking at any moment.

"Achtung! Achtung! Equestrikaner!"

"Steh auf!"

"Erschiessen!"

"Verdammter Equestrikaner!"

Fluttershy, seeing the situation, acted for her friends. She issued a warning. "Hande hoch oder ich schieße sie!"

The Sombris were taken by surprise with a hail of lead that rained down onto them from the balcony above. The room was filled with red mist as the .45 bullets hammered into their bodies.

"Cleared out?" Dumpling called from above.

"Cleared out!" The sergeant said before grabbing his helmet and inspecting the bodies inside the room.

"That was a dangerous game we played girls." Applejack said, shaken but otherwise fine.

Rarity nodded in agreement. Too shocked to speak.

Twilight went up to Dumpling to shake her hoof. "Captain Twilight Sparkle, 2nd Ranger Battalion, Charlie Company. Thank you for your help."

"No problem. It was either you guys or them." She replied. "So what brings you Rangers out here from Ponmaha Beach?"

"It's a long story. Somehow Princess Luna parachuted in with some 101st ponies. She's somewhere near Ramelle I think."

"Princess Luna…" Dumpling furrowed her brow in thought. "Hmm. I'm definitely sure she isn't here. Ramelle is still around thirty five miles from here."

"We'll try to get there by nightfall…" Twilight started but she was cut off.

"Nah don't. It's still pretty far. How about this," Dumpling started to suggest an idea. "You Rangers stay with us paratroopers for the night. We've got some good grub here and you guys can have a rest. Hang out the soaked clothes as well."

"Sounds good to me." Rarity said. "I really need to hang out my clothes."

"And I could do with a little treatment here." Rainbow said and looked with a pout at the bruise on her abdomen. "Thanks a thousand Rarity." She huffed.

"A little talk with my family sounds good." Applejack said before hugging Dumpling. Dumpling blushed.

"Not here AJ…" She whispered.

"How did you become a captain in the 101st anyway?!" Applejack asked. "I'm only a sarge in the Rangers."

"My commanding officers were all killed in action. Finally the major decided to step me up to captain. I don't know how long I'm going to live…"

"Don't say crap like that. You'll survive this. We'll all go home in one piece."

Dumpling nodded with tears in her eyes. She wiped them away. "Come on!" She shouted –a little hoarse- "Follow me to this house. It's quite nice inside. The only one that ain't bombed out here."

"Yayyyyy…" Fluttershy whisper-shouted.

After two hours, they felt much better. They had a warm, crackling fire in the fireplace, their clothes hung up. Dumpling had made apple pies for everypony in the oven. Rarity had even managed to find herself an old wooden tub to wash herself in. The horrors of war were temporarily forgotten.

"Aww gawd." Rainbow said, turning away. "Don't strip in here in front of everypony!"

"We don't even usually wear clothes Dashie. Remember?" Twilight reminded her.

"Oh, right." Dash banged her head.

"She's a good looking mare." A stallion paratrooper commented, looking at Rarity.

"Go, talk to her." His friend gave him a nudge.

"Hell no!" He said. "I heard she's like an expert at hoof to hoof combat. She'll flipping kill me!"

"You're not bad looking yourself. You dress neatly and you like good clothes. She might just 'accept' you."

"Nah scratch that." He gave a last glance at Rarity before turning away.

After half an hour, Twilight checked her watch. It read seven in the evening.

"Hey everypony want to call it a night and get an early sleep?"

"Yes ma'am!" Everypony responded.

They each found a comfortable position. Some holding each other, some lying down individually.

Twilight lay down in a corner. She saw Applejack smoking a cigarette with Dumpling next to her. The last thing she saw before drifting off to sleep was the glowing tip of the cigarette, as if it was trying to say something to her. Then the world blacked out.


End file.
